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Subduction-related Late Permian shoshonites of the Sydney Basin, Australia

Spät-permische Schoschonite des Sidney Beckens in Australien

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Summary

The Late Permian shoshonitic province of the southern Sydney Basin consists of lavas and intrusions confined to a 140 km long coastal belt, but geophysical and sedimentological data indicate that the province once had a length of at least 340 km. Both petrographic and geochemical data indicate shoshonitic affinities for these Late Permian rocks and, although the compositional range is from 48.4 to 60.6% SiO2, all units except an andesite lava have <55% SiO2. Subduction-related attributes of the province include enrichment in Al2O3 and LILE (Rb, K and LREE), depletion in HFSE (Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf and Ti), low Nb/U, and Sr/Nd of ∼ 30–35. Initial (at 250 Ma)87Sr/86Sr ranges from 0.70294 to 0.70440 whereasɛ Nd values range from +5.11 to +2.14 and plot almost exclusively in the mantle array. Low MgO and mg-numbers (maximum 7.37% and 64.5, respectively) demonstrate that none of the shoshonites represent primary magmas in equilibrium with mantle peridotite. Isotopic data and elemental contents are not supportive of a model in which crustal contamination is the dominant process in magma petrogenesis, but do not exclude contamination with Sr-rich material having a low87Sr/86Sr and highɛ Nd values.

A temporal correlation between igneous rocks from the southern Sydney Basin, Dampier Ridge, New England and Tasmania indicates a widespread magmatic event which was, at least in part, shoshonitic in character and which developed in response to subduction along the east coast of Gondwanaland. The geochemical similarity between the Dampier Ridge and Sydney Basin samples does not support a model for spatial compositional variation across a subduction-related magmatic belt but, coupled with the variations in isotopic ratios, implies heterogeneity in the source.

Zusammenfassung

Die spät-permische Schoschonit Provinz des südlichen Sidney Beckens besteht aus Laven und Intrusionen, die in einem 140 km langen Gürtel längs der Küste auftreten. Geophysikalische und sedimentologische Daten weisen darauf hin, daß diese Provinz ursprünglich eine Länge von mindestens 340 km hatte. Sowohl petrographische wie geochemische Daten weisen auf schoschonitische Affinität dieser spät-permischen Gesteine hin. Obwohl die SiO2 Gehalte von 48.4 bis 60.6% schwanken, haben alle Einheiten mit Ausnahme einer andesitischen Lava < 55%. Auf Subduktion weisen u.a. Anreicherungen an Al2O3 und LILE (Rb, K and LREE), die Verarmung an HFSE (Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf and Ti) niedrige Nb/U und Sr/Nd von ungefähr 30–35 hin. Die87Sr/86Sr Initiale, berechnet für 250 Ma, liegen zwischen 0.70294 und 0.70440 und dieɛ Nd-Werte zwischen +5,11 und +2,14 und fallen fast ausschließlich in den Mantel-Bereich. Niedrige MgO und mg-Zahlen (Maximal 7,37% bzw. 64,5) zeigen, daß die Schoschonite nicht primäre Magmen, die mit Mantelperidotiten im Gleichgewicht sind, darstellen. Isotopendaten und Elementgehalte weisen nicht auf ein Modell hin, bei dem Krusten-Kontamination bei der Magmen-Genese eine wichtige Rolle spielte, aber eine Nichtkontamination mit Material, das niedrige87Sr/86Sr Werte und hoheɛ Nd Werte hat, ist nicht auszuschließen. Eine zeitliche Beziehung zwischen den magmatischen Gesteinen des südlichen Sydney-Beckens, dem Dampier Ridge, Neuengland und Tasmanien weist auf ein weit verbreitetetes magmatisches Ereignis hin, das zumindest teilweise schoschonitischen Charakter hatte und das auf Subduktion längs der Ostküste von Gondwanaland zurückführbar ist. Die geochemische Ähnlichkeit von Proben des Dampier Ridge und des Sydney Beckens weist nicht auf räumliche Variationen in der Zusammensetzung über einen subduktionsbezogenen magmatischen Gürtel hin, sondern läßt eher, zusammen mit den Variationen der Isotopendaten, heterogene Quellen für diese Gesteine vermuten.

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  1. School of Geosciences, University of Wollongong, 2522, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

    P. F. Carr

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Carr, P.F. Subduction-related Late Permian shoshonites of the Sydney Basin, Australia. Mineralogy and Petrology 63, 49–71 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01162768

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